Event ReportEU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam

Kick-off Event | 7-9 March 2022

A pilot initiative launched by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation

To connect Vietnamese EU and Japanese companies and organisations for trilateral joint

projects in Vietnam

Organisers

Partners

In cooperation withbull Embassy of Germany in Japan

bull Embassy of Greece in Japan

bull Embassy of Slovakia in Japan

bull Embassy of Hungary in Japan

bull CzechInvest in Japan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY p4

CONTEXT p6

OUTLINE p7

NEXT STEPS p8

ANNEX 1 PROGRAMME p9

ANNEX 2 EVENTrsquoS LEAFLET p10

ANNEX 3 PLATFORMrsquoS HOMEPAGE p11

ANNEX 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS p12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (12)

Context

Taking into account important business trends over the last years and following the signature of

the Partnership on sustainable connectivity and quality infrastructure between the EU and Japan

in 2019 and the EU Japan Green Alliance the EU Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation has

undertaken business support activities to facilitate the connection between EU and Japanese

companies for joint projects in and with Africa Southeast Asia and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Centrersquos initiative

The EU-Japan Centre has more than 10 years of experience in supporting business cooperation

between EU and Japanese companies via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) It is now

extending its expertise to promote new business opportunities in Vietnam and with Vietnamese

partners with a helpdesk fully dedicated to support EU-Japan partnerships with Southeast Asia

Africa and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam

To support EU-Japan-Vietnam tripartite business cooperation the EU-Japan Centre organised a

kick-off event from 7 to 9 March 2022 launching the one-year platform ldquoEU-Japan business

matchmaking with Vietnamrdquo

This kick-off event included a webinar presenting the initiative and a two-day virtual business

matchmaking As part of the Team Europe approach the EU-Japan Centre worked closely with EU

Member Statesrsquo Trade Promotion Organisations and EU Embassies in Japan

While business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in Europe or in Japan is a

concept that is widely understood the concept of tripartite business cooperation between EU and

Japanese companies in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners is not widely known yet The EU-

Japan Centre and its partners aim at promoting opportunities for tripartite business cooperation

thanks to this one-year platform Throughout the year the platform will include several webinars

and business matchmaking sessions to showcase opportunities and encourage the connection

between EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies for trilateral projects in Vietnam

Possible areas of cooperation

The EU and Japan both agreed to cooperate with partner countries including in ASEAN in

improving connectivity in energy transport and digital projects as well as in projects contributing

to carbon neutrality and sustainable development

As for the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam after consultation with partners in

Vietnam Japan and the EU four areas of activity were chosen for target areas of cooperation on

the platform infrastructure manufacturing smart city and green technology

Benefits of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation

The above sectors have the potential to create windows for opportunity for EU-Japan-Vietnam

consortia in which each company can leverage their competitive advantage such as a technology

market intelligence a subsidiary or existing network to achieve a joint project

Vietnam is a market that is being increasingly attractive for both Japanese and EU companies It

has a free trade agreement with both the EU and Japan and is being considered more and more

as a good and stable alternative to China for foreign companies wishing to undertake activities in

Asia 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (22)

Possible synergies between the EU and Japan joint funding

Funding is important for both EU and Japanese companies when discussing possible joint projects

in a foreign market This is why synergies between EU and Japanese funding entities to create

joint funding would facilitate business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in

Southeast Asia Several EU and Japanese banks or funding agencies have signed Memorandum

of Understandings to this effect However the implementation of these MoUs has not been

completed yet leaving possible EU-Japan joint funding in the pipeline

Lessons learned

The EU-Japan Centrersquos business matchmaking support for EU and Japanese companies in and

with Vietnam is a pilot initiative that started in March 2022 with the launch of the EU-Japan

business matchmaking with Vietnam platform

Following the kick-off event launching the platform several lessons learned and key points can

already be highlighted to better prepare future activities

bull The trilateral dimension of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation is important EU and

Japanese companies collaborate in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners from the public

and private sectors

bull Cooperation with partners in Vietnam Japan and the EU such as chambers of commerce

investment and trade agencies municipalities and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) was

crucial to ensure the visibility of the kick-off event and will be important again for future

events

bull The language barrier can be a challenge for EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies to

discuss possible cooperation While companies interested in finding international partners

should ideally appoint staff speaking English or the language of the target foreign market the

use of interpretation services was also appreciated by participants attending the kick-off

webinar organised by the EU-Japan Centre

bull An important lesson learned is that the concept of EU-Japan-Vietnam trilateral business

cooperation is not widely known yet Most companies and business support organisations are

more familiar with traditional bilateral cooperation However trilateral cooperation can

respond to the needs of the Vietnamese market by using the expertise of international

stakeholders from Japan and the EU in addition to local experts in Vietnam For example

many infrastructure and smart city projects are undertaken by international consortia

Therefore the concept of tripartite business cooperation needs to be further promoted

explained and illustrated by success stories To address this challenge the EU-Japan Centre

plans to organise more events and webinars to raise awareness on opportunities and success

stories

A least 4 MoUs were signed on this matter (1) MoU between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2019 (2) MoU between the EIB and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 2018 which was

extended in 2021 (3) MoU between the EIB and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) in 2018 (4) MoU between the European

Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NEXI in 2020 5

Organisers

Partners

In cooperation withbull Embassy of Germany in Japan

bull Embassy of Greece in Japan

bull Embassy of Slovakia in Japan

bull Embassy of Hungary in Japan

bull CzechInvest in Japan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY p4

CONTEXT p6

OUTLINE p7

NEXT STEPS p8

ANNEX 1 PROGRAMME p9

ANNEX 2 EVENTrsquoS LEAFLET p10

ANNEX 3 PLATFORMrsquoS HOMEPAGE p11

ANNEX 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS p12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (12)

Context

Taking into account important business trends over the last years and following the signature of

the Partnership on sustainable connectivity and quality infrastructure between the EU and Japan

in 2019 and the EU Japan Green Alliance the EU Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation has

undertaken business support activities to facilitate the connection between EU and Japanese

companies for joint projects in and with Africa Southeast Asia and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Centrersquos initiative

The EU-Japan Centre has more than 10 years of experience in supporting business cooperation

between EU and Japanese companies via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) It is now

extending its expertise to promote new business opportunities in Vietnam and with Vietnamese

partners with a helpdesk fully dedicated to support EU-Japan partnerships with Southeast Asia

Africa and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam

To support EU-Japan-Vietnam tripartite business cooperation the EU-Japan Centre organised a

kick-off event from 7 to 9 March 2022 launching the one-year platform ldquoEU-Japan business

matchmaking with Vietnamrdquo

This kick-off event included a webinar presenting the initiative and a two-day virtual business

matchmaking As part of the Team Europe approach the EU-Japan Centre worked closely with EU

Member Statesrsquo Trade Promotion Organisations and EU Embassies in Japan

While business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in Europe or in Japan is a

concept that is widely understood the concept of tripartite business cooperation between EU and

Japanese companies in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners is not widely known yet The EU-

Japan Centre and its partners aim at promoting opportunities for tripartite business cooperation

thanks to this one-year platform Throughout the year the platform will include several webinars

and business matchmaking sessions to showcase opportunities and encourage the connection

between EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies for trilateral projects in Vietnam

Possible areas of cooperation

The EU and Japan both agreed to cooperate with partner countries including in ASEAN in

improving connectivity in energy transport and digital projects as well as in projects contributing

to carbon neutrality and sustainable development

As for the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam after consultation with partners in

Vietnam Japan and the EU four areas of activity were chosen for target areas of cooperation on

the platform infrastructure manufacturing smart city and green technology

Benefits of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation

The above sectors have the potential to create windows for opportunity for EU-Japan-Vietnam

consortia in which each company can leverage their competitive advantage such as a technology

market intelligence a subsidiary or existing network to achieve a joint project

Vietnam is a market that is being increasingly attractive for both Japanese and EU companies It

has a free trade agreement with both the EU and Japan and is being considered more and more

as a good and stable alternative to China for foreign companies wishing to undertake activities in

Asia 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (22)

Possible synergies between the EU and Japan joint funding

Funding is important for both EU and Japanese companies when discussing possible joint projects

in a foreign market This is why synergies between EU and Japanese funding entities to create

joint funding would facilitate business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in

Southeast Asia Several EU and Japanese banks or funding agencies have signed Memorandum

of Understandings to this effect However the implementation of these MoUs has not been

completed yet leaving possible EU-Japan joint funding in the pipeline

Lessons learned

The EU-Japan Centrersquos business matchmaking support for EU and Japanese companies in and

with Vietnam is a pilot initiative that started in March 2022 with the launch of the EU-Japan

business matchmaking with Vietnam platform

Following the kick-off event launching the platform several lessons learned and key points can

already be highlighted to better prepare future activities

bull The trilateral dimension of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation is important EU and

Japanese companies collaborate in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners from the public

and private sectors

bull Cooperation with partners in Vietnam Japan and the EU such as chambers of commerce

investment and trade agencies municipalities and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) was

crucial to ensure the visibility of the kick-off event and will be important again for future

events

bull The language barrier can be a challenge for EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies to

discuss possible cooperation While companies interested in finding international partners

should ideally appoint staff speaking English or the language of the target foreign market the

use of interpretation services was also appreciated by participants attending the kick-off

webinar organised by the EU-Japan Centre

bull An important lesson learned is that the concept of EU-Japan-Vietnam trilateral business

cooperation is not widely known yet Most companies and business support organisations are

more familiar with traditional bilateral cooperation However trilateral cooperation can

respond to the needs of the Vietnamese market by using the expertise of international

stakeholders from Japan and the EU in addition to local experts in Vietnam For example

many infrastructure and smart city projects are undertaken by international consortia

Therefore the concept of tripartite business cooperation needs to be further promoted

explained and illustrated by success stories To address this challenge the EU-Japan Centre

plans to organise more events and webinars to raise awareness on opportunities and success

stories

A least 4 MoUs were signed on this matter (1) MoU between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2019 (2) MoU between the EIB and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 2018 which was

extended in 2021 (3) MoU between the EIB and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) in 2018 (4) MoU between the European

Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NEXI in 2020 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY p4

CONTEXT p6

OUTLINE p7

NEXT STEPS p8

ANNEX 1 PROGRAMME p9

ANNEX 2 EVENTrsquoS LEAFLET p10

ANNEX 3 PLATFORMrsquoS HOMEPAGE p11

ANNEX 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS p12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (12)

Context

Taking into account important business trends over the last years and following the signature of

the Partnership on sustainable connectivity and quality infrastructure between the EU and Japan

in 2019 and the EU Japan Green Alliance the EU Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation has

undertaken business support activities to facilitate the connection between EU and Japanese

companies for joint projects in and with Africa Southeast Asia and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Centrersquos initiative

The EU-Japan Centre has more than 10 years of experience in supporting business cooperation

between EU and Japanese companies via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) It is now

extending its expertise to promote new business opportunities in Vietnam and with Vietnamese

partners with a helpdesk fully dedicated to support EU-Japan partnerships with Southeast Asia

Africa and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam

To support EU-Japan-Vietnam tripartite business cooperation the EU-Japan Centre organised a

kick-off event from 7 to 9 March 2022 launching the one-year platform ldquoEU-Japan business

matchmaking with Vietnamrdquo

This kick-off event included a webinar presenting the initiative and a two-day virtual business

matchmaking As part of the Team Europe approach the EU-Japan Centre worked closely with EU

Member Statesrsquo Trade Promotion Organisations and EU Embassies in Japan

While business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in Europe or in Japan is a

concept that is widely understood the concept of tripartite business cooperation between EU and

Japanese companies in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners is not widely known yet The EU-

Japan Centre and its partners aim at promoting opportunities for tripartite business cooperation

thanks to this one-year platform Throughout the year the platform will include several webinars

and business matchmaking sessions to showcase opportunities and encourage the connection

between EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies for trilateral projects in Vietnam

Possible areas of cooperation

The EU and Japan both agreed to cooperate with partner countries including in ASEAN in

improving connectivity in energy transport and digital projects as well as in projects contributing

to carbon neutrality and sustainable development

As for the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam after consultation with partners in

Vietnam Japan and the EU four areas of activity were chosen for target areas of cooperation on

the platform infrastructure manufacturing smart city and green technology

Benefits of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation

The above sectors have the potential to create windows for opportunity for EU-Japan-Vietnam

consortia in which each company can leverage their competitive advantage such as a technology

market intelligence a subsidiary or existing network to achieve a joint project

Vietnam is a market that is being increasingly attractive for both Japanese and EU companies It

has a free trade agreement with both the EU and Japan and is being considered more and more

as a good and stable alternative to China for foreign companies wishing to undertake activities in

Asia 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (22)

Possible synergies between the EU and Japan joint funding

Funding is important for both EU and Japanese companies when discussing possible joint projects

in a foreign market This is why synergies between EU and Japanese funding entities to create

joint funding would facilitate business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in

Southeast Asia Several EU and Japanese banks or funding agencies have signed Memorandum

of Understandings to this effect However the implementation of these MoUs has not been

completed yet leaving possible EU-Japan joint funding in the pipeline

Lessons learned

The EU-Japan Centrersquos business matchmaking support for EU and Japanese companies in and

with Vietnam is a pilot initiative that started in March 2022 with the launch of the EU-Japan

business matchmaking with Vietnam platform

Following the kick-off event launching the platform several lessons learned and key points can

already be highlighted to better prepare future activities

bull The trilateral dimension of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation is important EU and

Japanese companies collaborate in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners from the public

and private sectors

bull Cooperation with partners in Vietnam Japan and the EU such as chambers of commerce

investment and trade agencies municipalities and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) was

crucial to ensure the visibility of the kick-off event and will be important again for future

events

bull The language barrier can be a challenge for EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies to

discuss possible cooperation While companies interested in finding international partners

should ideally appoint staff speaking English or the language of the target foreign market the

use of interpretation services was also appreciated by participants attending the kick-off

webinar organised by the EU-Japan Centre

bull An important lesson learned is that the concept of EU-Japan-Vietnam trilateral business

cooperation is not widely known yet Most companies and business support organisations are

more familiar with traditional bilateral cooperation However trilateral cooperation can

respond to the needs of the Vietnamese market by using the expertise of international

stakeholders from Japan and the EU in addition to local experts in Vietnam For example

many infrastructure and smart city projects are undertaken by international consortia

Therefore the concept of tripartite business cooperation needs to be further promoted

explained and illustrated by success stories To address this challenge the EU-Japan Centre

plans to organise more events and webinars to raise awareness on opportunities and success

stories

A least 4 MoUs were signed on this matter (1) MoU between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2019 (2) MoU between the EIB and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 2018 which was

extended in 2021 (3) MoU between the EIB and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) in 2018 (4) MoU between the European

Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NEXI in 2020 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (12)

Context

Taking into account important business trends over the last years and following the signature of

the Partnership on sustainable connectivity and quality infrastructure between the EU and Japan

in 2019 and the EU Japan Green Alliance the EU Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation has

undertaken business support activities to facilitate the connection between EU and Japanese

companies for joint projects in and with Africa Southeast Asia and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Centrersquos initiative

The EU-Japan Centre has more than 10 years of experience in supporting business cooperation

between EU and Japanese companies via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) It is now

extending its expertise to promote new business opportunities in Vietnam and with Vietnamese

partners with a helpdesk fully dedicated to support EU-Japan partnerships with Southeast Asia

Africa and Latin America

About the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam

To support EU-Japan-Vietnam tripartite business cooperation the EU-Japan Centre organised a

kick-off event from 7 to 9 March 2022 launching the one-year platform ldquoEU-Japan business

matchmaking with Vietnamrdquo

This kick-off event included a webinar presenting the initiative and a two-day virtual business

matchmaking As part of the Team Europe approach the EU-Japan Centre worked closely with EU

Member Statesrsquo Trade Promotion Organisations and EU Embassies in Japan

While business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in Europe or in Japan is a

concept that is widely understood the concept of tripartite business cooperation between EU and

Japanese companies in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners is not widely known yet The EU-

Japan Centre and its partners aim at promoting opportunities for tripartite business cooperation

thanks to this one-year platform Throughout the year the platform will include several webinars

and business matchmaking sessions to showcase opportunities and encourage the connection

between EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies for trilateral projects in Vietnam

Possible areas of cooperation

The EU and Japan both agreed to cooperate with partner countries including in ASEAN in

improving connectivity in energy transport and digital projects as well as in projects contributing

to carbon neutrality and sustainable development

As for the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam after consultation with partners in

Vietnam Japan and the EU four areas of activity were chosen for target areas of cooperation on

the platform infrastructure manufacturing smart city and green technology

Benefits of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation

The above sectors have the potential to create windows for opportunity for EU-Japan-Vietnam

consortia in which each company can leverage their competitive advantage such as a technology

market intelligence a subsidiary or existing network to achieve a joint project

Vietnam is a market that is being increasingly attractive for both Japanese and EU companies It

has a free trade agreement with both the EU and Japan and is being considered more and more

as a good and stable alternative to China for foreign companies wishing to undertake activities in

Asia 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (22)

Possible synergies between the EU and Japan joint funding

Funding is important for both EU and Japanese companies when discussing possible joint projects

in a foreign market This is why synergies between EU and Japanese funding entities to create

joint funding would facilitate business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in

Southeast Asia Several EU and Japanese banks or funding agencies have signed Memorandum

of Understandings to this effect However the implementation of these MoUs has not been

completed yet leaving possible EU-Japan joint funding in the pipeline

Lessons learned

The EU-Japan Centrersquos business matchmaking support for EU and Japanese companies in and

with Vietnam is a pilot initiative that started in March 2022 with the launch of the EU-Japan

business matchmaking with Vietnam platform

Following the kick-off event launching the platform several lessons learned and key points can

already be highlighted to better prepare future activities

bull The trilateral dimension of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation is important EU and

Japanese companies collaborate in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners from the public

and private sectors

bull Cooperation with partners in Vietnam Japan and the EU such as chambers of commerce

investment and trade agencies municipalities and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) was

crucial to ensure the visibility of the kick-off event and will be important again for future

events

bull The language barrier can be a challenge for EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies to

discuss possible cooperation While companies interested in finding international partners

should ideally appoint staff speaking English or the language of the target foreign market the

use of interpretation services was also appreciated by participants attending the kick-off

webinar organised by the EU-Japan Centre

bull An important lesson learned is that the concept of EU-Japan-Vietnam trilateral business

cooperation is not widely known yet Most companies and business support organisations are

more familiar with traditional bilateral cooperation However trilateral cooperation can

respond to the needs of the Vietnamese market by using the expertise of international

stakeholders from Japan and the EU in addition to local experts in Vietnam For example

many infrastructure and smart city projects are undertaken by international consortia

Therefore the concept of tripartite business cooperation needs to be further promoted

explained and illustrated by success stories To address this challenge the EU-Japan Centre

plans to organise more events and webinars to raise awareness on opportunities and success

stories

A least 4 MoUs were signed on this matter (1) MoU between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2019 (2) MoU between the EIB and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 2018 which was

extended in 2021 (3) MoU between the EIB and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) in 2018 (4) MoU between the European

Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NEXI in 2020 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (22)

Possible synergies between the EU and Japan joint funding

Funding is important for both EU and Japanese companies when discussing possible joint projects

in a foreign market This is why synergies between EU and Japanese funding entities to create

joint funding would facilitate business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in

Southeast Asia Several EU and Japanese banks or funding agencies have signed Memorandum

of Understandings to this effect However the implementation of these MoUs has not been

completed yet leaving possible EU-Japan joint funding in the pipeline

Lessons learned

The EU-Japan Centrersquos business matchmaking support for EU and Japanese companies in and

with Vietnam is a pilot initiative that started in March 2022 with the launch of the EU-Japan

business matchmaking with Vietnam platform

Following the kick-off event launching the platform several lessons learned and key points can

already be highlighted to better prepare future activities

bull The trilateral dimension of EU-Japan-Vietnam business cooperation is important EU and

Japanese companies collaborate in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners from the public

and private sectors

bull Cooperation with partners in Vietnam Japan and the EU such as chambers of commerce

investment and trade agencies municipalities and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) was

crucial to ensure the visibility of the kick-off event and will be important again for future

events

bull The language barrier can be a challenge for EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies to

discuss possible cooperation While companies interested in finding international partners

should ideally appoint staff speaking English or the language of the target foreign market the

use of interpretation services was also appreciated by participants attending the kick-off

webinar organised by the EU-Japan Centre

bull An important lesson learned is that the concept of EU-Japan-Vietnam trilateral business

cooperation is not widely known yet Most companies and business support organisations are

more familiar with traditional bilateral cooperation However trilateral cooperation can

respond to the needs of the Vietnamese market by using the expertise of international

stakeholders from Japan and the EU in addition to local experts in Vietnam For example

many infrastructure and smart city projects are undertaken by international consortia

Therefore the concept of tripartite business cooperation needs to be further promoted

explained and illustrated by success stories To address this challenge the EU-Japan Centre

plans to organise more events and webinars to raise awareness on opportunities and success

stories

A least 4 MoUs were signed on this matter (1) MoU between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2019 (2) MoU between the EIB and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 2018 which was

extended in 2021 (3) MoU between the EIB and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) in 2018 (4) MoU between the European

Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NEXI in 2020 5

CONTEXT

General context

Following the signature of the Partnership on sustainable connectivity and quality infrastructure

between the EU and Japan in 2019 and the commitment from the EU and Japan to form a Green

Alliance the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation has undertaken business support

activities to facilitate the connection between EU and Japanese companies for joint projects in and

with Africa Southeast Asia and Latin America

Substantial data show that tripartite business cooperation in and with Southeast Asia Africa and

Latin America is a growing trend that opens many business opportunities in untapped markets

More information on this topic can be found belowbull Overview of the conference ldquoEU-Japan business collaborations in third marketsrdquo organised by the EU-Japan

Centre in 2019

bull Report ldquoAnalysis of EU-Japan business cooperation in third countriesrdquo published by the EU-Japan Centre in

2020

bull French Japanese Business Summit 2020 focusing on ldquoGrowth opportunities in Africa towards new

partnershipsrdquo

bull Report ldquoEU-Japan business cooperation in third markets ndash Focus on the digital economyrdquo published by the

EU-Japan Centre in 2021

bull Event report about the involvement of the EU-Japan Centre at the Japan-Africa Business Forum 2021

bull Annual report ldquoEconomic outlook ndash German Business in Japanrdquo published by the German Chamber of

Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan) The chapter ldquoBusiness in third marketsrdquo presents key numbers

about business cooperation between German and Japanese companies outside Germany and Japan Read the

report for 2018 2019 2020 and 2021

bull EU-Japan-Africa Mission 2022 Report available here

bull Case studies of trilateral business cooperation between Africa the EU and Japan available here

EU-Japan-Vietnam tripartite business cooperation

After successful experiences in supporting matchmaking activities between EU Japanese and

African companies during the 3rd Japan-Africa Business Forum and the 7th EU-Africa Business

Forum the EU-Japan Centre has extended its scope to Southeast Asia

A pilot initiative to support EU-Japan-Vietnam tripartite business cooperation was launched in

March 2022 with the one-year platform EU-Japan business matchmaking with Vietnam

The kick-off event launching this one-year platform included a webinar and two days of virtual

business matchmaking for registered participants The full programme of the event is available

here and the recording of the webinar is available here

The EU-Japan Centre has substantial experience in organising matchmaking events between EU

and Japanese companies via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and it is now extending its

expertise to promote new business opportunities in Vietnam and with Vietnamese partners

In April 2022 the EU-Japan Centre launched a new helpdesk supporting and promoting EU-

Japan partnerships with Southeast Asia Africa and Latin America This helpdesk will organise

other events of the EU-Japan-Vietnam platform to showcase more opportunities for cooperation

and encourage the connection between EU Japanese and Vietnamese companies for trilateral

projects in Vietnam

6

OUTLINE

Contents

1 webinar

2-day virtual matchmaking

ObjectiveSupport the connection between EU

Japanese and Vietnamese companies

and organisations interested in

trilateral business cooperation for joint

projects in Vietnam

Target business segments

Ico

ns

mad

e b

yFre

ep

ikfr

om

ww

wfla

tico

nc

om

Infrastructure Manufacturing Smart CityGreen

technology

Format

Fully virtual

httpseu-japan-vietnam-2022b2matchiohome

From 7 to 9 March 2022 the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation organised a kick-off

event launching the 1-year platform ldquoEU-Japan business matchmaking with Vietnamrdquo

Output

bull 1 webinar that gathered 30 attendees ndash Recording available here

bull 2-day virtual business matchmaking with 19 meetings arranged

bull 69 individual participants representing 54 companiesorganisations

bull Feedback shows that 50 of the meetings could result in ldquopossible cooperationrdquo

bull Increased visibility of Vietnam-EU-Japan tripartite business cooperation

EU participants taking part in the event

Belgium Greece Germany Lithuania Spain Hungary Estonia

Portugal Sweden Romania

7

The EU-Japan Centre will follow up with the participants of the business matchmaking event and

provide further support if requested

The virtual platform ldquoEU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnamrdquo will be open for one year

Registration for eligible companies and organisations will be possible throughout the year and

registered participants will be able to arrange meetings with other participants at any time of their

convenience

Other events will be organised on the platform to showcase more opportunities for cooperation

Business matchmaking sessions will be organised to foster the connection between EU Japanese

and Vietnamese companies to discuss trilateral projects in Vietnam The EU-Japan Centre

considers organising a second event on the platform around mid-2022

Because the concept of EU-Japan-Vietnam trilateral business cooperation is not widely known yet

it needs to be further promoted explained and illustrated by success stories

bull Future events organised on the platform will also aim at further promoting the business trend

of EU-Japan-Vietnam trilateral business cooperation

bull The EU-Japan Centre considers creating a list of case studies of Vietnam-EU-Japan trilateral

business cooperation that would be available on its website

The EU-Japan Centre will keep working on supporting EU-Japan business cooperation in Vietnam

and with Vietnamese partners from the public and private sectors

8

NEXT STEPS

ANNEX 1 PROGRAMME

The full programme of the event is available here

9

ANNEX 1 PROGRAMME

The full programme of the event is available here

9

ANNEX 2 EVENTrsquoS LEAFLET

10

ANNEX 3 PLATFORMrsquoS HOMEPAGE

The platform is accessible here httpseu-japan-vietnam-2022b2matchiohome

11

ANNEX 3 PLATFORMrsquoS HOMEPAGE

The platform is accessible here httpseu-japan-vietnam-2022b2matchiohome

11

ANNEX 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS

Participants Total

EU COSME

Participants

Japanese

Participants

Vietnamese

Participants

54 companies

organisations

(represented

by 69

individual

participants)

30 14 10

Austria 1

Belgium 14

Czech Rep 1

Estonia 1

France 2

Greece 1

Hungary 3

Lithuania 1

Portugal 1

Romania 1

Spain 2

Sweden 1

Ukraine 1

Large

companies 14 3 7 4

SMEs 24 16 4 4

Non-

companies 12 10 2

Clusters 4 1 1 2

Eligible participants for this platform have to be entities headquartered in Vietnam Japan one

of the 27 EU Member States or a country participating in the former COSME Programme

12